The Yelling Charts

We created our "yelling charts" two days ago and have them taped up on the refrigerator.  I had two purposes in talking to them about this and letting them help decide what should be on the chart.  The first one was to try and foster kindness in our family.   We all get frustrated, but for some reason we seem to be communicating with loud voices when we're angry, frustrated or don't like something.   The second reason was to start the children on allowences.

They start the week out with ten dollars.   If they yell at someone, not just family members, they lose twenty-five cents.  That sounds like they can get away with a lot of yelling before they'd go into negative dollars for the following week, but I'm wanting them to be successful and get money at the close of the week.   I want them to get money but realize they could have gotten more money if they'd behaved differently.

My daughter can (and has) lost fifty cents in a short span several times already.  This is in part because she's been insulting people and calling them names.   That offense is worth fifty cents.

The children are also doing things to unpack their backpacks each day, put in a snack or make their lunch and getting things ready for the morning since we're tight on time in the mornings.  They are getting one dollar in allowence every day for doing these things.   It's not an option, they're required to do them, but there is the reward of additional allowence for doing so.

My son came up with additional things to add on his list.  He suggested we add 'Violence' at $1.00 and swearing at $.50.   Then he wanted to add "etc." because I think he's learned that word lately.   He thought $999,999,999 was appropriate for acts of etcetera.

We need to make my daughter's sheet tactile so that she has a physical representation of the amount she will be getting and the amount she has lost due to behavior.   I've been thinking about this one for a few days and haven't come up with a straightforward, simple to understand solution we can reuse week after week.  I think I'll ask her and see if she has any suggestions.

And on the final front, there's me.   I've lost money to swearing and/or yelling six times so far.   I certainly have room for improvement.

The Big Boy Update:  My daughter's cab honked today when she arrived home.  My son, atypically, ran to the door and said, "I want to be mature and go get her from the cab."  I stayed at the door and waved at the driver as my son got my daughter out and helped her with her backpack as she came inside.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter came home from school and asked me, "do you know what thlantropy is?"  I asked her if she meant philanthropy.  She said that was it and, "it’s when you give money to people in need."